The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-10-07

&S SS$ SASS GAAOoS
who would have slain thee, my Balloon,
are by now we'll on their road to She. She
said that ye were to como also at once, but
I fear We can not yet"
"Nay,"I said, not till we have rccov-
the daylight, l pray thee, my father, I like
not this place."
"Ah, no." he answered; SIT hath Q sad
air. Iremember when l was hoy 1 found
the body Of q fair woman lying where you
lie now, yes, on that very bench. She was
80 beautiful that l used to creep in here
with a lamp and gaze upon her. Had it
not been for her cold hands, almost could
I think that she slept, and would one day
awake. so fair and peaceful was she in her
robe of white. White was she, too, and
her hair was yellow, and lay down her al.
most to the feet. There are many such
still in the tombs at the place where She
Is, for those who set them theSe had a way
1 know naught of, of keeping their beloved
out Of the %cruinblins hand 0f Decay, even
when Death had slain them. Ay, day by
day I came hither, and gazed on her, till at
last-laugh not a me, stranger, for I was
but a silly lai-flearned to love that dead
form, that s!,A TINT once had held q life
VANso III VI 1 WOu1O C1VSp up W ucI
and kiss her cold face, and wonder how
many men had lived and died since she
was, and who had loved her and embraced
her in the days that long had passed away
And, my Balloon, I think learned wisdom
from that dead one, for of O truth it taught
me Of the l%ittleness of life, and the length
OF Death. and how all things that are un-
der the sun go down one path, and are for
ever forgotten. And so I mused, and 1t
seemeGt to me that wisdom flowed into me
from that dead one, till one day my mother,
q watchful woman, but hasty-minded, see
ing ! was changed. followed me, and saw
the beautiful white one, and feared I wa
bewitchcd, as, indeed, I was. So half in
fear, and half in anger. she took the lamp.
and standing the dead one up against the
wall Shere, set fire to her hair, and she
burned fiercely, even down to the feet. for
those who are thus kept burn exceedingly
well. See, my son, there on the roof is yet
the smoke of her burning"
Hooked up d%oubtfully, and there, sure
enough, on the roo OF the sepulchcr was q
peculiarly unctuous and sooty mark, three
feet or more across. Doubtless it had in
the course of years been rubbed off the
aides of the little cave. but on the roof 1t
remained. and there was no installing its
appearance.
"she burneH.' he went on. in a medita-
tive way, "even to the feet. but the feet I
came back and saved. cutting the burncu
bone from them. and hid them under the
stone bench there. wrapped up in o piece
Of linen. Surely, I remember 1T as though
1t were but yesterday. Perchance they are
there, II none have found them, even to
this hour. OF a truth / have not entered
this chamber from that time to this very
day. Stay, Twill look. " and kneeling down
he CROPPED about with his long arm in the
recess under the stone bench. Presently
his face frightened, and with an exclasaa-
ton he pulled something forth that was
caked In dust, which he shook on to the
floor. It was covered with tho remains Ut
rotten rag. which he undid. and revealed
70 my ~astonisheo gaze a beautifully shaped
and almost white woman's foot, looking as
fresh and as firm as though 1t had been
placed there yesterday.
s'T,hou seest, my son, the Baboon," he
said, in a sud voice, IL spake the truth to
thee, for here Is yet n foot remaining.
Takei It, my on, and gaze upon It"
ItoOk this cold fragment OF mortality IN
my hand, and looked at IL in the light Of
the lamp with feelings which I can moi
describe, SO mixed up were they between
astonishment, fear, and fascination. II
was light, much lighter I should say thar
It had been in the living state. and thu
flesh to all appearance wa still fesh
though about It their chung family aro